Free Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss

this other world was bad? I hadn’t thought of that. What would I
do then? But I saw those guards, how dark and frightening they
were, and I was still shaken by that voice. It didn’t matter
whether or not Dad was good or bad. I needed to see him, to know
that he was safe from men like them. And to know that he was
alive.
    Sonya tugged on me to move. The shadows in
the forest were much deeper than before. I glanced up. Thick clouds
loomed overhead, just visible through cracks in the green barrier.
These clouds were darker and more menacing than anything I’d ever
seen—not the sort of thing you want from a storm.
    We strayed from the path this time, winding
around huge trees and thick underbrush. The wind gained strength,
ripping through the forest, nipping at my damp skin. I kept seeing
movement in the corner of my eye, but every time I looked, all I
could find was a rock or pile of shrubs.
    Then I bumped into something.
    Not again.
    "Sorry.” My cheeks burned hot. And,
unfortunately for me, Alex noticed this time.
    He lowered his mouth to my ear. "You know, if
you wanted me closer, you could've just asked. It'd be a lot less
painful for both of us."
    My eyes narrowed. “Like you know anything
about pain.”
    His lips formed a tight line and he stepped
aside. When I walked on, I felt his eyes burning into my back.
    You got your wish. You wanted him to say
something last time.
    That’s it, conscience. If you don’t keep
quiet I’ll tie you to a tree and leave you there.
    The breeze continued to beat at my hair and
cloak. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain my body
heat, hoping that wherever we were headed wasn’t much further.
     My teeth were chattering by the time a
solid gray structure came into view. The roof was made of thatched
coverings and the walls were composed of neatly laid stone. Ribbons
of smoke rose and curled from the chimney and my spirits lifted at
the prospect of a warm fire. Soft light flickered behind one of the
beveled glass windows, shadows moving beyond. Someone was inside.
Was it Dad? Was he safe?
    The front door creaked open, and my heart
sank. It wasn’t my dad. It was a young man about my age, maybe
younger. His light-brown hair was a disheveled mess and his hazel
eyes held an awareness that contrasted with his youthful features.
He wore a loose-fitting tunic that looked slightly large for his
skinny frame, and the extra fabric of his tan breeches was tucked
into tall leather boots. If this was the style, no wonder the Del
Contes wanted us to wear cloaks.
    The boy halted right before us and even
before he opened his lips to speak, I knew the news wasn’t good.
His apprehension was strong.
    “Thad.” Cicero nodded once.
    The boy called Thad nodded in return. “Sir.”
His voice was scratchy.
    “Where’s Alaric?”
    The boy’s gaze flashed to me. “Gone,
sir.”
    Cicero stepped forward. “What do you
mean…gone?”
    “He left this morning. He said there was no
time to waste. Someone helped the Pykans through the portal.”
    I felt the sharp anxiety of the Del Contes,
but knowing my dad had come and gone turned my heart to lead.
“Where’s my dad?”
    “Quick, inside,” Sonya said as she looped her
arm through mine and pulled me after her.
    Thad stole a few glimpses of me as he led us
to the cottage. Thunder cracked above, rumbling throughout the
valley as large droplets began falling, and my sense of despair
expounded. Since I’d been told about this crazy place, the one hope
I’d clung to had been seeing my dad. Without him, I wasn’t sure how
much longer I could keep it together.
    We reached the protection of the porch just
as the clouds unleashed their fury. Rain fell in a curtain behind
us, blurring the landscape as we walked through the doorway.
    Dad wasn’t here.
    Everyone scattered but I stood in the foyer,
frozen with anxiety. What should I do now? I was in a strange world
with no one I could trust. My dad was here—somewhere—but I had